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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Dean McLellan And The Amazing Age Old Art of Dry Stone Building...

Dean McLellan is a dry stone waller and mason. That should be said with some sort of fanfare at least.
The man's a master when it comes to the inspirational art of building with dry stone, an art that's been practiced for centuries.
He's artisan who's always on the lookout for creative and interesting projects.
And always ready to promote the age old craft of dry stone walling and construction.
Especially in Canada where he lives.
There's many other wonderful examples of the age old art here...

sorry, here I go again: "The word "Borie", of Provençal origin, comes from the Latin "boaria" - oxen stable -, signifying a type of shed. The hut has always been an institution in Provence. First popping up in fields to house the peasants' tools, it became, as time passed, the little country house, done up, often in quite a rudimentary manner, to spend Sundays and holidays. The borie also permetted shepherds to shelter their flocks. To build them, our ancestors gathered the stones from the calcareous surroundings. They were just lying there for the taking." - this is from

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/luberon/village-des-bories/gb/

These are fantastic buildings - cool during a hot day, but retaining some of the heat to make a very comfortable shelter in the chilly mountain nights. To make any furniture one just sticks a, well, stick in between the stones, inside or out, it's rock-solid, works for lofts too. If the rain forces one inside (worst in May)there is allways the possibility of fossil-hunting in the stones....or else the scorpions may hunt You, but they are small, timid and less than lethal here. Just shake Your boots before putting them on!